Family Values
by Sailor Elf
Summary: With the recent addition to their team, everyone's got mixed feelings.
1. A Family Dispute

Disclaimer – None of the mummies or anyone associated with them belong to me. Lutina's mine!

Summary – With the recent addition to their team, everyone has mixed feelings. Ja-kal's worried about her trust issues, Nefertina is pleased there's another woman around and Armon doesn't care one way or another. Rath, on the other hand, has some family issues to deal with.

Author's Note – Here it finally is! A follow-up story to the one I wrote like 7 years ago.

00000

Family Values

"Are you sure it was safe to bring her here? I mean, this could be a ploy to find out where we live," Ja-kal wondered.

"I don't think so Ja-kal. She _did_ help us escape from Scarab and defeat him in that battle. Unlike your nephew, who first pretended to help then betrayed us in order to help us again; she's moved on past her differences. It's very obvious. Besides, don't you want the help to protect Rapses?" Nefertina questioned.

Ja-kal didn't immediately answer as his stare went to Lutina, who was standing nearby staring at her sarcophagus. She appeared to be in a trance, as if remembering her life before everything had gone so terribly wrong. He gave a sigh, fully knowing that she was a risky move every step of the way. He carefully watched her as she turned her stare towards the ground. Lutina began to step away from the sarcophagi and moved out of the room.

"Speaking of protectors, where's Armon and Rath?" wondered Ja-kal.

"Armon's eating, as he always is and Rath's in his lab," Nefertina replied.

She began to make her way out of the room and he barely noticed her leave. At the door, Nefertina turned around and gave a weak smile.

"Ja-kal, I think we'll know soon enough if she's on our side or not. Until then, I trust her," she called to him.

Ja-kal crossed his arms as he watched her disappear around the corner. He found that it wasn't just her trust issues that were nagging at the back of his mind: he was also worried about Rath.

00000

Nefertina walked up to Lutina, who was sitting on the couch in front of the television set. The new arrival was evidently silent compared to when she was first awakened in this new century. The once conniving mind was now jumbled with random thoughts.

"Lutina…" started Nefertina.

"He's barely looked in my direction since I first arrived. I've kept trying to tell him that I have proof with what I say yet he remains aloof. He keeps his distance, wondering whether or not he should trust me," she interrupted.

"Give him time. We've all had to adjust to the idea. It's just taking him a little longer than the rest of us," Nefertina told her.

Lutina turned towards her and gave her a weak smile. Her eyes were sad, like they had been since she arrived.

"But how long will it take? If he doesn't come to me soon, I _will_ have to leave," she said.

"Wait a minute! What makes you think you have to leave?" Nefertina protested.

Lutina didn't immediately answer as she glanced around the room. The bare walls stared back as if they were judging her, just like both Rath and Ja-kal were judging her.

"I would not be wanted here. I know what I've done and it's not exactly the best way for you and you friends to begin trusting me. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Ja-kal and Rath demanded I leave," she replied.

00000

Rath carefully lifted up the beaker, staring at the contents inside. His mind danced back to Lutina and the fateful words she said when she first arrived at their home.

"_Lutina, we're all curious about one thing. Exactly who is your brother?" Ja-kal asked._

_She looked up at them with sad eyes. She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to tell them._

"_It's Rath," she finally said._

_Ja-kal, Nefertina and Armon glanced at each other in complete shock. Rath stepped forward, the anger evident on his face._

"_Impossible! I never had a sister!" Rath blurted out._

"_I knew you would say that, even though all the clues were right in front of you: the rattlesnake armour and my magical abilities, for starters," she replied._

_She reached her arm out to Rath, one of the spikes from her armour resting in her hand. He was wary about the whole situation and it clearly evident on his face. _

"_You do not have to worry. It does not contain poison or any other dangerous substance," she assured him._

"_Then what does it contain?" he posed._

_She gave a sad smile as she gently took his hand and placed it in his palm. He wanted to throw it right back into her face but managed to restrain himself._

"_Rath, it's hard to explain. My spikes have many different purposes. I know every one of them by instinct. All I'm asking you is to trust me. I give this one to you. When you are ready, simply let me know," Lutina replied._

_She began to walk away from them and towards her sarcophagus. She stepped inside and closed the door to the stunned group. Nefertina turned towards Rath, who was still holding the spike. He held it up in front of his face and he seemed almost mesmerized by it._

"_Do you think she's telling the truth?" asked Rath._

"_Yes, I do. I don't know how I can tell but something tells me she has made peace with happened. The question now is: can you?" Nefertina explained_.

The scene played out in his mind time and time again since it first occurred only a few weeks earlier. The spike that she gave him lay on the table, untouched since she gave it to him. He hadn't yet come to grips with the idea that he had a sister that he apparently never knew anything about. Rath didn't know what exactly he was looking for whether it was a sign or a slip-up.

'_And there's no one I can discuss this with. By what I've observed, all the others have completely different opinions about her. Looks like I will have to deal with this alone. There's no one to talk to. I don't think even Presley would understand either,' _he thought.

Rath placed the beaker back down onto the table and made his way towards the door. He grabbed the trench coat sitting on the chair. He climbed onto one of the Jet-cycles and made his way out unnoticed by the others.

The mummy continued to drive for what seemed like hours. He whizzed past the people walking on the sidewalks, barely taking any notice of them.

"She seems so certain of the idea that I am her brother but why do I not remember her?" he quietly said.

Rath didn't stop until he reached the waterfront. He climbed off the bike and stepped over to the railing, overlooking the bay. He stared at the full moon sitting in the sky and gave a sigh.

"Lutina is right about one thing: her magical abilities are something to take into consideration," he said. "But what is her full story? She hasn't spoken anything else about herself since she first arrived. Maybe she is simply waiting for me."

He continued to stare at the bay, the moonlight streaming across the water within its confines. He barely took notice of anything or anyone else around him.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" a voice came from beside him.

Startled, Rath's eyes flew wide open and he turned his stare to the woman standing beside him. He managed a small smile though he wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk.

"I always come here when I need to think about something. This time, it's my mother. She's a very demanding woman and she's on my back about my homework for my college courses. She's telling me how I should be working harder," she told him.

She began to laugh, rolling her eyes as she turned around and rested her back on the railing. Her laughter soon calmed down as she looked upwards at the stars in the sky.

"Here I am talking about my problems to a stranger. Guess I should introduce myself first. My name is Cecelia," she said.

She reached out her hand and Rath slowly took it. He relaxed a bit as they shook. A small smile barely crossed his face as he gave a sigh.

"Um…Ray. My name is Ray," he told her.

"So what's your problem?" she asked, releasing the handshake.

It took a moment for Rath to digest the question. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should let her in on his problems. He sighed, staring back at the moon.

"There's this woman who's recently come into my life, claiming to be my sister. She swears that she has proof but I do not know how reliable this information is," he finally said.

Cecelia didn't say anything as she contemplated the words she was told. She narrowed her eyes a bit as she flashed him a smile for an idea crossed her mind. She carefully studied the dancing lights of the moving cars.

"I think I know what you need. You certainly have quite the dilemma, more so than mine will ever be and maybe talking to someone over a nice hot cup of coffee will do the trick," she suggested.

Rath thought about the offer and soon nodded with a smile.

'_Maybe I do need to talk to someone who is impartial,'_ he thought.

"Good. We can stash your motorcycle in the cab of my truck and I can take us there," she offered.

Rath nodded as he began to follow her away from the San Francisco Bay and its gently lapping waters.

TBC...


	2. Talking it Over

Rath sat at the chair, holding the cup the coffee within his hands. He really wasn't in the mood for coffee nor did he have much of a taste for it. There were lots of things about the situation he didn't necessarily want.

But here he was anyway.

Cecelia sat with her elbows on the table, staring intently at the man sitting next to her. To her, 'Ray' seemed like a private man. She knew that he was having problems and she was determined to get them out into the open.

"So tell me about this woman, this one who claiming to be your sister," she posed.

Rath glanced up at her, startled. He shook off the initial misgivings and gave a sigh.

"She's a very determined woman. I met her once…a long time ago but I did not realize it was her," he explained.

"Makes me wonder when she knew that you were her brother," mused Cecelia.

Rath stared at the steam rising up from the coffee and he slowly went into a trancelike state. He didn't even know why he was having this conversation with someone he just met. Not when he had Nefertina, Jakal and Armon to discuss this with.

'_What am I thinking? I can't talk to them! It's probably for the best that I'm here,'_ he thought. "I think she knew all along but was waiting for the right time to approach me. Maybe she wanted to make sure it was me for certain."

Cecelia rolled her eyes and gave a laugh. She took a sip of her coffee as she snuck a look out the window at the night sky. She gave a sigh before returning her attention back to Rath.

"The way I see it, she either really is your sister and all she wants is to be with you after so long or she wants to scam you out of something," she posed.

"I can only wait and see what happens. I simply don't know what to think until then," he said.

00000

Scarab stepped out of the darkness and into the dimly lit room. Shabti were surrounding him and he looked at their blank stares. Heka quietly looked on from her position in his hand. Even though Scarab had a calm look on his face, she could tell that he was seething inside.

"What am I doing wrong Heka? It seems everyone I turn to for help are incompetent. Araq and Kimis weren't of any help in the end. Chontra was no better. Set and Anubis were always messing everything that I had planned. Now Lutina has betrayed me. Her amnesia spikes did indeed work for a few days but now I remember everything clearly," he told her.

"I wasn't going to say anything, Boss," replied the snake. "Now what's your plan?"

Scarab hesitated for a moment, wondering how to go about his next move. He turned towards her with a smile on his face.

"I'm going to find the mummies and confront them," he said.

Heka narrowed her eyes, wondering if he had gone completely nuts. Scarab continued to give her a smile before heading towards a nearby table, which held a black box. He reached inside and pulled out its contents. Heka was slightly amazed by the black ball, which was the size of a basketball.

"Nice, Boss. What is it?" Heka wondered, turning back to him.

"It is one of the mythical Balls of Concealment. If one trained in magic has one, they can use it in any way they wish. I happen to have all five of them from years of searching. I've hidden the other four in various parts of the city and I've programmed them to detect the faint magic given off by the amulets the mummies wear around their necks. I have this one here to keep me informed of the progress," Scarab explained.

Heka didn't reply as she stared at the ball, the dark smoke beginning to swirl around inside. When the smoke suddenly changed direction and its speed increased, she was taken aback. The snake turned her stare enough to see a grinning Scarab.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she wondered.

Scarab began to laugh quietly, not realizing he was slowly squeezing the air of his reptilian companion. Heka struggled to breathe as Scarab began to laugh.

"That means one of them has been detected. Now we can go defeat whoever it is and take them prisoner for the others. They will have to come looking sooner or later," he replied.

00000

Ja-kal stepped into the lab to find it completely empty. Khati silently moved around the leader's legs and into the room. She turned her attention up to Ja-kal, who was obviously worried. Butterflies began to twirl around his stomach as he thought about where Rath might have gone to without telling any of them.

"Where is he, Khati? It's been a long time since I've seen him," he muttered.

He gently lifted up the cat and headed out to find the others. He soon came across Nefertina and Armon, who were sitting on the couch, watching the television set.

"Have either of you seen Rath lately?" he asked.

The two quickly stole a glance between each other before turning back to Ja-kal and shook their heads. Khati jumped down from Ja-kal's arms and onto the couch beside and made herself comfortable between the two mummies.

"I haven't seen him in hours. Is there something the matter Ja-kal?" replied Nefertina.

"I don't know. There's something telling me that things are not well," he said.

He placed a hand on his chin as Lutina silently moved into the doorway. She didn't say anything as she walked up to Ja-kal's side.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he went out to think about the situation. After all, I suppose he still doesn't completely believe me and I don't think you do either," Lutina told him.

Ja-kal gave her a hard look, narrowing his eyes in the process. He took a deep breathe in order not to tell her to get lost. She turned towards him and gave him a lopsided smile.

"I care for him, Ja-kal, more than what you realize and more than what I did as well. I had taken archery lessons from you a long time ago and you trusted me then. What happened to change that?" she told him.

Before he had a chance to answer her, Lutina walked past him. She disappeared into the door across the room. The trio watched her leave before Armon and Nefertina turned towards Ja-kal, who was apparently in total disbelief.

"You knew Lutina 3000 years ago and you didn't tell us?" Nefertina asked in disbelief.

"I suppose I did but at the time, I did not realize who she was or what she had planned to do with her new skills," Ja-kal said.

The woman gave a sigh as she climbed to her feet and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Then the four of us should go find Rath before he gets himself into any trouble. I'll get Lutina and then we'll head on our way," she tried to tell him.

Ja-kal managed to nod as Armon climbed off the couch. Ja-kal carefully watched Nefertina as she headed after Lutina. He narrowed his eyes, still unsure what to make of everything.

TBC…


	3. An Intervening Dilemma

"You've barely touched your coffee, it's getting cold."

With the sound of her voice, Rath snapped out of his reverie. He gave her a weak smile, trying not to look ungrateful for her company. Inwardly, he knew he had to somehow shut her out for danger would come at any given moment. He hesitated.

"Listen, Cecelia, I want to thank you for listening. I don't think there are too many people who will listen to the troubles of a complete stranger," Rath finally told her.

"Don't worry about it. After all, psychiatrists do this type of thing. They listen to the problems of strangers all the time," she assured him with a wave of the hand.

Rath lowered his head slightly, a bit unsure what he should do next. He thought about leaving completely her behind and having nothing else to do with her yet he was too involved with the situation.

He knew he had to prove Lutina's story but he didn't know where to begin.

Cecelia took another sip of her coffee before glancing past Rath, out the window. She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"That's weird," she muttered.

"What is?" asked Rath.

"Some strange looking guys are destroying everything down the street. They almost look like…stone. Probably some fashion statement and I wouldn't know what they're trying to prove," she replied.

Rath turned around and the astonishment jumped onto his face. The word _shabti_ burst into his mind and began to race through it. The shock crept onto his face as he stared at the stone warriors destroying everything they came across.

What really made him nervous was the figure he managed to make out standing in the shadow of a nearby building.

'_Scarab!'_

The name rang out in his mind. It appeared that his longtime enemy was overseeing the work of his minions. It also appeared that they were looking for something. What it was, he couldn't be sure yet. He slowly climbed to his feet as the shabti began to make their way towards the café.

"What's wrong?" Cecelia asked.

The worry began to creep into her voice and he really couldn't blame her. She slowly stood up, carefully glancing between her new friend and the figure outside.

"Cecelia, get out of here while you still can," Rath told her.

The urgency in his voice alarmed her as she grabbed his arm. Rath couldn't ever turn around to look in her face.

"You can't be serious! If those men are dangerous, you can't expect me to leave you behind to face them alone! The police should be called!" she cried at him.

"I can't explain to you why I have to do this. You just have to trust me," Rath replied.

Cecelia appeared as if she were going to cry as she released his arm. She slowly shook her head, wondering what kind of man Rath was in life, yet unbeknownst to her in death.

00000

Scarab growled as he watched the shabti as they began to head up the street. He knew one of the mummies had to be nearby but as he soon came to realize, it couldn't be pinpointed exactly.

"Whoever it is, they aren't in the alleyways. They have to be in plain sight but where?" he wondered.

"Well, the mess the shabti are creating should catch all their attentions," Heka tried to assure him.

Scarab gave a weak smile at the assurance that the others would soon follow at the news of the destruction in the city. He glanced around the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mummies. He soon lifted up Heka.

"Shabti, continue on until any of those mummies arrive! One of them is around here somewhere and they'll come running soon enough once they realize we're in the region!" he ordered them.

One of the shabti lifted his weapon and glanced around the area only to see a few people standing wide-eyed nearby. He stepped towards them when an arrow whizzed past his face. He looked to see it landed in the face of a shabti. The head began to crack when another arrow landed beside the first and the shabti crumbled into pieces.

All looked to see a female figure kneeling some distance away. In her hands, was a bow with an arrow notched within it. Scarab couldn't help but snicker as he realized who it was.

"Lutina, it is so good to see you again. I couldn't help but wonder if you had indeed joined the other mummies or if you decided to go off alone," he laughed.

"Looks like the amnesia wore off," she mused.

The stone warriors began to head towards the lone mummy with Scarab and Heka at the sidelines.

"Yes it did. It was quite clever of you to use those. It took me a while to remember everything. If you ask me, it was foolish of you to come alone. You'll be crushed within minutes," Scarab warned her.

"Whoever said I came alone? I know I didn't," Lutina posed.

The sound of a motorcycle filled Scarab's ears, surprising him greatly. Both Heka and he turned in the direction of the motor to see Nefertina heading in their direction, whip in hand.. As she got closer, she snapped it and it cracked directly next to his head.

With wide eyes, Scarab twirled his head enough to see that she had hit one of the shabti standing beside him. He growled as he turned back towards the two mummies. Nefertina had turned away from him and was now stopped beside Lutina.

"I was wondering when any of you'd get here," Scarab told them.

"You've come to an all-time low Scarab. I never expected you to stoop so low as to destroy city property," Nefertina called to him.

Scarab didn't give a reply as he scanned the area. When it appeared that Ja-kal, Armon or Rath were in the area, he gave a laugh.

"Is this a joke? It's just the two of you against a slew of shabti and me? How pathetic!" he cried.

Lutina growled as she released the arrow notched within her bow. It struck another shabti on the other side of Scarab. She climbed to her feet and ran straight for him. He lifted up a hand, directing a blast of magic towards her and she managed to avoid it by inches.

00000

Rath and Cecelia were watching the whole scene from inside the café. The mummy was trying his best not to run out and help the two women. Cecelia gave a smile as she folded her arms.

"Now there's someone there to stop him. It looks like they're wearing this weird type of armour. One looks like a cat, the other like a snake. I think they're trying to make a fashion statement too. Personally, I think it looks stupid," she said.

Rath didn't say anything as he thought about the situation. His mind was thinking of the things he could do to get Cecelia away from the scene in order to help Nefertina and Lutina. He figured Armon and Ja-kal would soon arrive once they knew what was going on but he didn't know when that would be.

Cecelia carefully watched him as she placed a hand on his arm. She gently shook him and he broke out of his concentration. He tried to give her a smile and failed.

"What's going on Ray? Is there something that you're not telling me?" she demanded.

As he thought about what he was going to say, he glanced out the window to see a ball of flame heading directly for them.

"Cecelia, watch out!" he cried.

He lunged for her and pulled her towards the floor, partially covering her with his body. The glass broke and flew everywhere. He cringed slightly as he felt the shards land on top of him. Rath glanced at Cecelia, who had several nicks on her arms from the falling glass.

"Let me help you. I have to get you out of sight," Rath told her.

He carefully placed an arm around her waist and helped her to her feet. They headed for the adjacent room, where she sat down. Rath began to head back, when Cecelia called out his name.

"What do you think you're doing? Are you going out to help those…those _freaks_? Can't see what that will prove and it's not going to impress me, that's for certain. You're just going to get in the way! Maybe even get killed!" Cecelia remarked with a smirk.

Rath didn't reply. Inwardly, he was laughing over the irony of her last statement. Without another word, he ran back and jumped out the window. He never noticed Cecelia peering at him from around the corner.

"With the strength of Ra!" he cried out.

As his armour appeared, Cecelia gave a gasp. She quickly returned to a sitting position, her back against the wall.

'_What kind of man is Ray? That is definitely not normal!'_ she thought.

TBC…


	4. Captive Hearts

Thank you, everyone, for waiting so patiently.

00000

Scarab held out his arm, the sheer joy written all over his face. The flame he had magically reproduced hit a nearby building. Both of the female mummies were appalled at his actions.

"Scarab, I never knew that took complete joy in destroying public property," Nefertina called out.

"Then you obviously don't know me well enough. I will finally get rid of you Nefertina," Scarab replied. "As for you Lutina…"

He began to advance towards her as Nefertina made her way around their nemesis.

"There are still two of us, Scarab and one of you. What makes you think that you will be able to defeat us?" wondered Nefertina.

Scarab smirked as he twirled around and fired a ball of magic directly at her. It caught her off-guard and she soon found herself pinned against a nearby wall. What looked like a ball of goo had smacked into her.

"What is this stuff?" she cried out.

"A way to keep you out of the picture. At least for now, that is," replied Scarab.

He sharply returned his attention back to Lutina, who was still ready for anything that he could throw at her. Scarab grinned as he released a stream of magic towards her. Lutina responded with a burst of magic herself. She gritted her teeth as she tried to hold off the attack as long as she possibly could. Scarab's attack soon overwhelmed Lutina and she went flying across the street.

"I will certainly take care of you," Scarab smirked.

His attention was broken by a blast of magic whizzing past his head. Scarab looked to see the tint of yellow and green rapidly moving for them from a distance. He gave a laugh once he saw who it was.

"Ah, Rath it is so good to see you again. That means the three of you will have the joy of being destroyed together. Then all I will have to deal with after is Ja-kal and Armon. Then I will find the prince," Scarab laughed.

He threw several blasts of magic towards the mummy, who quickly dodged and jumped over them. Scarab laughed as he continued his assault until an arrow whizzed past his face and he growled.

"Ja-kal, where are you and Armon? That means I will be able to get rid of you all together!" demanded Scarab.

"Whoever said it was Ja-kal?" Lutina's voice came.

Scarab turned to find the mummy kneeling on the ground, bow in hand and a quiver of arrows ready on her back.

"You are resourceful for you knew I would automatically assume it was Ja-kal. I keep forgetting your past with these fools. Why you ever joined up with them, I will never understand," Scarab smirked.

"I saw the error of my ways, Scarab. I don't think that's something you'd ever comprehend. I haven't looked back for I have found peace with what has happened. He may have been estranged to me but it was as much my fault for not inquiring about it sooner," she snarled at him.

Rath slightly lowered his sword, slightly confused by what she said as Scarab blasted magic at her. Soon, he held out a hand and turned his stare upwards. The others quickly followed his gaze to see a circular object hurtling towards them and watched as it landed within Scarab's hand. Rath blanched once he saw what it was.

"Oh no, not _them_," gasped Rath.

"Oh yes. I had a feeling you'd know what this would be, Rath. Now, it will be the cause of your complete destruction," Scarab laughed.

A bright light emitted from the ball, completely engulfing the quartet and leaving an empty street behind. Cecelia crawled out from the ruins that was once the café and stared at the spot they were recently sitting.

"What is going on here?" she asked out loud.

00000

When Rath awoke, the first thing he heard was ringing. As his vision cleared, he found himself staring directly at Heka. She hissed and he recoiled.

"Welcome. It is good to see you have awakened to witness this," she told him.

Rath didn't respond, instead taking the time to glance around the room. He found Nefertina, who was still unconscious, chained beside him and Lutina was locked up on the other side of the room, with Scarab standing next to her.

"What do you want from us, Scarab?" he demanded.

"Oh, it's not so much that I want anything from you or Nefertina. Not just yet, anyway. Lutina and I are more closely connected than you realize, Rath," Scarab explained.

Rath decided to not say anything, hoping that his old nemesis would explain. Scarab carefully made his way over to the two mummies and smirked. Nefertina groaned before noticing Scarab and realizing her situation.

"I was the one who gave Lutina her armour and much more than that. She is indebted to me far more than what anyone realizes. Now, I have a way for her to repay me ," Scarab replied.

He placed one hand under her chin and the other next to her head. Magic emitted from his hand and it jolted her awake. A snarl crossed her face, recoiling from the mere proximity of Scarab.

"You have forgotten how I persistent I can be, Lutina. You will serve me again for your loyalties should lie with me. I gave you so much but you are throwing it back into my face," he whispered to her.

Lutina closed her eyes, unsure if she wanted to remember the memories. Scarab gently placed a hand on her cheek and she chomped her teeth at him. He jerked his hand back, hoping to prevent any injury to himself.

"Just remember who gave you your powers in the first place. Remember who prevented your immediate death by persuading the pharaoh to accept you as a servant, my servant, but only after I convinced him I had managed to subdue your magical powers and only I could keep it that way. I promised to keep you on a short leash, which I did. If that plague a few years later hadn't taken your life, I assure you would have become my queen," he reminded her.

She squirmed within his grasp before he released her. Lutina bared her teeth at him, fighting the chains, as Scarab took a few steps away.

"I was hoping you wouldn't leave me this choice but since it seems that you have…" he began.

His magic discharged and it blasted the female mummy several times. She bit her lip, trying to not cry out in pain. Both Rath and Nefertina were horrified that Scarab would serve this kind of punishment. Rath jerked at the chains, wishing that his hands would free themselves from them but found they were magically sealed.

"Rath, what are we to do?" wondered Nefertina.

"I have no idea," he lamented.

He wasn't too sure how much he should tell Nefertina about what he was feeling. The long lost sensation of butterflies settling within his stomach resurfaced as he watched Scarab try to break the woman who called herself his sister.

"Say you will serve me once again!" Scarab barked at her.

Lutina gritted her teeth as they began a staring match.

"Never!" she retorted.

Scarab dropped his hand to his side and gave a small snicker before he burst out into full blown laughter. With Heka in hand, he carefully walked back up to the mummy, who was now dangling against the wall. Rath and Nefertina were both wondering what he was going to do

"Then you leave me no choice," he finally replied.

He lifted up his hand and the tiniest of objects flew across the room and landed within Scarab's palm. Lutina stared at it wide-eyed, fully knowing what it was.

"A spike from my armour," she gasped.

"Yes, it is. It took me a few minutes to find it but I do believe you know which one it is," Scarab explained.

Before anyone could say anything else, he took the spike and plunged it into Lutina's chest, producing a scream unlike anything that the other mummies had ever heard.

TBC…


	5. Entertaining Ideas

Armon ran through the streets as Ja-kal flew overhead. Worry filled their minds as everything appeared to be quiet. If one had asked Armon, he would've replied that it was too quiet.

"Ja-kal, what if they hadn't found anything either? I mean, Rath could be back at the Sphinx by now," Armon called out to him.

Ja-kal glanced around before landing before his friend. He gave a deep sigh as he took in all the surroundings.

"It's a calm evening and you could very well be right, Armon, but…" he started.

The increasing chatter of nearby people caught their attention. A group began to surround a section of the road. The two de-transformed before quickly finding some old clothes in a nearby trash bin. They calmly joined the crowd, hoping to find out what happened.

"Looks like some hooligans decided to vandalize the city again," sighed a nearby woman.

"There have been incidents similar to this happening lately. When will it stop?" questioned a man.

Ja-kal glanced around at the crowd, some appearing annoyed, others being curious. He stare came to one young woman, who almost appeared to be in tears. He motioned to Armon to stay as he walked over to her.

"What do you think happened?" he wondered.

Cecelia's attention was broken as he spoke. She gave a shrug of her shoulders, barely even looking in his direction.

"Who knows?" she replied.

Ja-kal carefully watched her every move, hoping to detect anything he could use to get any information out of her.

"Are you certain that you didn't know anyone who was involved in this?" he finally asked.

Cecelia blanched before slowly turning to stare at the man standing next to her. He gave a weak smile before grabbing her arm and leading her away from the scene. As they approached Armon, he joined them and they hurried into a nearby alleyway.

"I know you know something. Who did this?" Ja-kal demanded.

Cecelia shook her head before trying to turn and run but Ja-kal grabbed her arm.

"Listen, we're just trying to look for a friend and I have a feeling you might be able to help us. I didn't want the others to overhear because our situation is a little…" Ja-kal calmly explained as he looked for the right word "…unique."

Cecelia glanced between the two of them, debating whether or not to trust them at all until she saw the frame of a chain around their necks. Carefully narrowing her eyes, she finally took a gulp.

"I was talking to some guy named Ray in the café nearby when these weird stone – things – showed up destroying everything. A man in a strange bug outfit showed up soon afterwards, followed by two women. One was dressed up as a cat, the other as a snake," explained Cecelia.

Armon and Ja-kal gave each other a knowing look that Lutina and Nefertina had both been at the scene, but still no appearance of Rath. Unsure what to say next, Cecelia shifted her position, gazing towards the ground.

"Listen, I've still got the guy's motorcycle in my truck. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. It almost looks – Egyptian – in a way. Would you want to see it?" she finally piped up.

The two mummies smiled, both realizing that her friend Ray might indeed be their Rath. They quickly followed her towards the vehicle.

00000

Scarab unlocked the chains surrounding Lutina's wrists and she quickly slumped to the floor in a heap. Rath and Nefertina carefully watched as the man walked around the still form.

"What did you do to her?" Rath finally demanded.

"You'll see soon enough," Scarab replied, a smile written across his face.

The three waited several tense moments before Lutina finally decided to stir. Gently lifting herself off the floor, her eyes carefully scanned the room until they rested on Rath. The mummy gulped, unsure what to expect next.

"With the strength of Ra!" Lutina cried out.

She stormed towards Rath as her armour appeared on her body. She pulled out her bow with the quiver sitting comfortably on her back. She released an arrow and it landed in the wall behind the two mummies with a shower of sparks.

"You will die," she stated.

"I'm afraid you're a little late for that," Rath tried to tell her.

He gulped for he was unsure how the mummy was going to react. Lutina lowered the bow to her side and raised her free hand. Stepping past a pillar, she slammed her hand into it, creating a surge of magic. It coursed through the metal as she stormed towards Rath. Nefertina was horrified as she realized what these spikes did: they manipulated the mind.

"Ra, help us now," she whispered.

00000

As soon as Ja-kal set his eyes on the Hot-Ra, he grinned. Both he and Armon both knew now that Cecelia's new friend was indeed their Rath.

"Listen, this man you met, do you have any idea where he went?" Ja-kal questioned.

"Maybe he got hungry," suggested Armon.

Ja-kal shot his friend an upset stare and it shut Armon right up. Turning his attention back to Cecelia, she quickly shook his head.

"It was weird. He decided to be the hero and went out to help those two women. He yelled out these words and then he suddenly had this strange snake outfit on himself. After several minutes, they all disappeared. Where they went, I have no idea. They could be anywhere in the city by now," Cecelia explained.

A bright light from within the corner of their vision caught the attention of the two mummies. Glancing up, they witnessed a spectacular light show hovering over one of the nearby buildings.

"That is where they have to be," muttered Armon.

Ja-kal nodded in agreement before turning back to Cecelia, who appeared quite confused.

"Okay, what just happened?" she questioned.

"We have to leave and we cannot take you with for there will be a dangerous fight ahead. We thank you for your help and I hope we meet again," Ja-kal told her.

The two mummies climbed onboard the Hot-Ra and it sped off into the distance. Cecelia sighed, watching them leave and wondered what was going to happen now.

00000

"Who do you think got the message out?" wondered Armon.

"I am unsure. It could have been either Lutina or Rath. Whoever sent it, we need to find them soon," Ja-kal replied.

They followed the light show until they reached a nearby warehouse. They noticed that lights were on inside and only a few shabti were stationed outside.

"Scarab must have captured them. It doesn't look like he's expecting us right away. He must not realize that someone is calling out to us. If not, we will have quite the fight on our hands," Armon mused.

Ja-kal glanced at his friend, nodding at him. Both knew the only course of action they could take now.

"With the strength of Ra!" they cried out.

TBC…


	6. Explosion of Emotion

Scarab grinned as he watched the scene play out. He knew Lutina better than what she had realized and now she was paying for her disobedience. Scarab carefully eyed her as she slammed an arrow into the wall beside Rath's head. She unshackled him and grabbed him by the bandages around his throat.

"You will pay for failing to remember me. I was there but you couldn't have been bothered with me," Lutina snarled.

Throwing him to the ground nearby, Lutina appeared to be oblivious to everything else in the room.

"Lutina, stop this! You can get through this!" yelled Nefertina.

The other female barely acknowledged the plea as she pulled out an arrow and notched it in her bow. Aiming it directly at Rath's head, she hesitated for a moment.

"Transform. I may want to kill you but I will not attack an unarmed man," she coldly told him.

Rath gulped, unsure what exactly was going to happen for he knew he had far more combat experience. Before the words could be uttered, a loud crash was heard at the far end of the building. The group managed to see Armon and Ja-kal rushing into the room through a gaping hole in the wall.

"What the…?" started Scarab. "How did those two find me so quickly?"

Ja-kal gave the room a fleeting look to find Rath at the business end of Lutina's bow. She barely looked up in the direction of her mentor.

"Lutina, no!" he yelled at her.

Without saying anything, she pulled back the string. Ja-kal rapidly raised his bow and fired an arrow. It nicked her shoulder and she recoiled for only a moment but it was enough for Rath to scramble to his feet and retreat towards his comrade.

"Rath, stay out of the way!" Ja-kal called over to him.

The mummy quickly paid attention as he watched the showdown between the leader and his former pupil.

"Stay out of this Ja-kal! This is my fight, not yours!" Lutina yelled over to him.

Ja-kal shook his head. The other mummies watched on for several tense moments as nothing happened. Scarab stayed back, within the shadows, searching for the right time to attack. He knew that she might end up destroying them all...or they might end up defeating him once again. Ja-kal carefully closed his eyes, already regretting what he had to do.

"Ja-kal…" she started again.

Before she could finish, the arrow that sat in Ja-kal's bow was fired and it soared across the room. Lutina barely had anytime to react and it exploded directly before her feet. Smoke rose from the ground and she began to cough. She managed to remain conscious enough to fire an arrow back towards the group and it sliced Ja-kal on his arm.

"Lutina, it is over," Ja-kal called to her.

She finally dropped to the ground as Scarab came out from within the shadows.

"You will not leave here. Shabti, attack!" he cried.

The stone figures rushed towards the mummies. Ja-kal and Armon began to meticulously destroy them as Rath ran over to Nefertina and magically unshackled her arms.

"It's about time," she said to a shrugging Rath.

They glanced back at their friends and gave one last sigh.

"With the strength of Ra!" they cried out.

With their armour on, they jumped into the battle. Despite the numbers, the shabti began to dwindle but the mummies soon found they had to retreat.

"Let's get out of here!" Ja-kal called out.

As Armon and Nefertina hurried out the side of the building, Ja-kal quickly realized that Rath was nowhere to be found. Glancing from side to side, the leader realized that Rath was trying to retrieve the body of Lutina.

"Rath, leave her!" Ja-kal ordered him.

"Ja-kal, I can't! She risked her life for mine the last time we fought Scarab! This is least I can do for her!" Rath called back.

Ja-kal rolled his eyes, not believing what he was about to do. He lifted his bow and continued to fire arrows at the shabti blocking Rath's path until the scholar reached the fallen mummy. He gently lifted her up and ran back to Ja-kal, who followed him outside the building. Scarab eyed each and every inch of the room.

"Why does this always have to happen to me?" he questioned.

"I'm not sure boss. Maybe because they know how to look out for each other's back?" suggested Heka.

Scarab stared at her with immense anger. She hissed back for she knew not to mess with him any further. Their thirst for vengence could only wait until the next time they face the mummies.

00000

Rath drummed his fingers on the table as he sat down in a chair beside it. It had been hours since they had arrived back at the Sphinx and Lutina appeared to not be stepping out of her sarcophagus anytime soon. Nefertina was sitting besides him and she finally placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be fine Rath. You just wait," she calmly assured him.

Ja-kal watched the pair from the nearby doorway. As upset as he was over what he saw at the warehouse, he now found himself curious about the situation. To his recollection, he never sensed such immese anger emitting from the young woman to whom he trained archery all those millenia ago. Armon stepped up behind him, sandwich in hand.

"Do you think she'll be hungry when she finally comes out?" he wondered.

Ja-kal shook his head and Armon shrugged his shoulders. He opened his mouth and took a huge bite of the food. It was the creak of a sarcophagus door that caught everyone's attention. All four turned to see Lutina stepping out of her sarcophagus, a hand on her head. Nefertina hurried to her side as Rath quickly stood up in his chair.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I…I feel like a whole temple fell on my head. I have never used that spike before and now I never care to see it used again," she groaned.

She could sense the lingering question in the air and figured it would be coming soon.

"What did it do to you anyway?"

Lutina glanced at each of the four mummies and sighed before dropping the hand to her side.

"It attacks the mind. It's supposed to suppress everything that a person is currently feeling and brings about the feelings they have about someone or something and they usually cannot control what they are doing. In my case, it brought out my latent anger towards Rath," she explained.

Upon hearing his name, Rath lowered his eyes slightly. He stared at his tightly closed fist as he strode over to the two women. They turned towards him as he opened his hand towards Lutina. She smiled at what she saw.

It was the spike that she gave him when she first arrived.

"You will finally understand, Rath," she mused.

Lutina gently took it from his hand and stared at it for a moment. She glanced up at him before grasping his hand. She shoved it slightly into the palm and he somewhat grimaced. She placed the other end in her hand and grasped his hand in the process. As she reached for his other hand, she could sense his body tensing up.

"Now relax your body for our minds will have to become one," Lutina told him.

As he slowly relaxed, he found a bright light quickly engulfing his conscious mind and then there was nothing.

TBC…


	7. The Truth

Laughter filled the air as the sun shone down on the desert sand. One young boy sat down, working on his writing skills, rolled his eyes at the young girl playing around in the sand before him.

"Lutina, don't you ever know how to stay still? Besides, we both have work to do," the boy protested.

"You are no fun, Rath! Get out and do something fun!" the girl shot back.

The young boy rolled his eyes as he continued on his work. Several moments later, a man walked out of the house. Lutina squealed in excitement and ran over to him as Rath gave an exasperated sigh.

"Father!" she yelled out.

She ran over to him and grabbed his legs in the biggest hug she could give him. He laughed as he ruffled her hair. Glancing over at Rath, he saw the scowl on his son's face.

"Dear Rath, why can't you ever get along with Lutina? She may not be as studious in her work as you are but she is still your sister," he asked.

"But father, if she keeps playing, when will she learn all the necessary skills for when she gets older?" he wondered.

The older man slumped his shoulders. He shook his head at his son, who knew he was going to get a talk later.

00000

Lutina snuck herself beside the doorway as her father sat down Rath within the room. The man paced back and forth, unsure where to start.

"Rath, listen. I know you are delving deep into your studies but you can't be responsible for everything your sister does. She's only seven and only a few years younger than you. She has plenty of time to learn everything she needs to know," the man told him.

Rath sat down with his arms crossed, his stare nowhere his father's direction. The man immediately knew that that his son was not happy for the position. He finally knelt down beside the young Rath and gently grasped his shoulder.

"I'm very proud of both of you, no matter what happens. You have proven yourself that you could one day be a worthy scribe and I can see your sister bearing many beautiful children," the man said.

He waited for a response of any kind and sighed when he realized he wasn't getting any. He stood up and began to walk to the doorway. He glanced back at his son.

"Whenever you feel like talking, I will always be here," he told his son.

He stepped out the door, oblivious to the fact that Lutina was crouching behind the plant sitting nearby. Lutina was a little sad with what she heard.

She made her way into the room to talk to her older brother. At first, he paid no attention to her but he turned towards her with anger.

"What do you want?" he finally asked.

It took several long moments before Lutina answered. She knelt beside her brother and rested her arms and head on his lap.

"Why don't you like me?" she innocently wondered.

"You're a girl, that's why," he retorted.

"Mother is a girl and you like her so why not me?" Lutina quipped.

Rath quickly stood up and shoved his sister to the side. He stormed out of the room before heading outside. The tears ran down his face as he dropped to his knees.

"Why? Why did they give me her?" he demanded.

00000

The next day, Rath joined his father to the pyramids. Lutina skipped ahead of them, laughing the entire way.

"Why did we have to bring her?" Rath muttered.

"Calm down Rath. Remember what we have been talking about," his father reprimanded.

The trio walked past all the workers who were busy with the temple. A few glanced towards them and smiled while others waved. The father smiled and waved back at them before he took his children to a nearby tent.

"Now stay close by. I need to talk to these men for a few moments, then I'll be right with you," he sternly told them.

The two nodded before stepping towards the table. After a few minutes of waiting, Lutina noticed a donkey nearby. A huge grin crossed her face as she watched the animal and its handler slowly walk past them. She giggled before running off after them. Rath was the first to notice she was missing and he quickly found her scurrying after the animal. He rolled his eyes before he ran after her.

"Lutina, get back here!" he shouted at her.

But she completely ignored him as she caught with the man and donkey. Lutina began to pet the animal when Rath ran over and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her back to the tent. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared up at him.

"I don't even know why I even bother with you," he growled at her.

"But Rath…" she began to protest.

"Don't 'but Rath' me! I wish I never had a sister!" he roared at her.

A loud noise nearby startled both of them and they gasped once they realized what was happening.

00000

The men from within the tent looked to see what was happening and began to dash about. Their father glimpsed to see where he thought his children were. When he realized they weren't there, he frantically searched the area.

"Rath, Lutina where are you!" he screamed.

He began to run around until he saw them standing next to each other, watching as the building was falling. He rushed to them and managed to reach them in time before the section of temple fell on top of them, covering the trio completely.

00000

"Be careful. They might still be alive," one man said.

As the last of the debris was lifted up, the workers were greeted by a gruesome sight: the man they called a supervisor and friend was curled into a ball, his body a bloodly mess.

"Get them out!" the man yelled at them

As they began to dig the rest of his body out, they found a startling surprise of the two children within a tiny area where their father managed to keep from collapsing in on top of them. One man reached for the boy's head wound and was startled to discover movement, accompanied by a groan. The girl, he found, was silently staring back at him.

"His two children are in here! They're alive!" he called to the others.

Once the men heard those words, they started scrambling like wildfire.

TBC…


	8. Beyond the Past

Rath groaned as he tried to open his eyes. His head was pounding and he placed a hand over his eyes, hoping to keep the glaring light out.

What made him even more nervous was the fact that Ja-kal and Armon were hovering above him. The two helped him to a sitting position where he found Nefertina hovering next to Lutina nearby.

"Rath, what did you find out?" wondered Ja-kal.

"More than what I cared to remember," he sighed.

He watched as Lutina groaned and sat up herself. Once she laid eyes on her brother, she lowered her stare.

"Did it really happen like that?" asked Rath.

Lutina nodded, unsure where to continue from where it left off. She leaned in closer, not wanting the others to hear everything – at least not yet. Not until Rath was comfortable enough to deal with it.

"I remember that day clearly, as if it happened yesterday. As a result of the collapse, our father died. The head injury you suffered eventually healed but you suffered a form of amnesia. Our parents, your life and everything that made you, you, were restored but for some strange reason, those last words you said to me before the accident stuck in your mind. You treated me as if I never existed to you. I've hated the fact ever since then and it grew that I began to hate everyone else who stood in the way, including Amenhotep and Rapses," she quietly explained.

Rath placed a hand on his head, unsure how to react to all the news he had been given. He never imagined that in the end, _he_ was the reason the attack on the pharaoh.

'_After all this time, I find out her anger originated from – me!'_ his mind screamed.

Rath carefully climbed to his feet and stared at the other mummies. Nefertina was next to Lutina while Ja-kal was standing several feet behind them. Armon was munching on his sandwich beside him. All were wondering what he planned to do now. Without a word, Rath walked away from them. Nefertina began to move after him but Lutina grasped her elbow.

"Let him be, Nefertina. He received a blow bigger than the building that fell on top of him," Lutina whispered to her.

All were curious to know what they shared through their link but they knew they had to be content with what little information they shared. Rath stepped into his lab and gazed about. He made his way to the table and sat down in the nearby chair. He lowered his head onto the table; his hands snaked behind his head.

"What have I done?" he asked. "What have I done?"

The End.

I know it's short but there we go. I hoped you liked. I might have more up my sleeve within time.


End file.
